8th Airborne Brigade 1942. Places of formation of airborne units in the Moscow region

According to Western data, about 25 thousand BTR-60s of all modifications were manufactured. BTR-60s were actively exported abroad. In addition, BTR-60PB were produced under Soviet license in Romania under the designation TAV-71; these vehicles, in addition to the armed forces of Romania itself, were also supplied to the army of Yugoslavia.

According to some available data, as of 1995, BTR-60 of various modifications (mainly BTR-60PB) were available in the armies of Algeria, Angola, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Botswana (24 units), Vietnam, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Egypt, Zambia (10 units), Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, North Korea, Cambodia, Congo (28 units), Cuba, Laos, Libya, Lithuania (10 units), Mali, Mozambique (80 units), Mongolia, Nicaragua ( 19 units), Syria, Sudan, Turkey (received from Germany), Finland (110 units), Estonia (20 units). In addition, they are currently still in service in the armies of many CIS countries.

Interestingly, the export and re-export of BTR-60 to various countries continues to this day. So only in 2001 Ukraine transferred 170 armored personnel carriers (136 BTR-60PB and 34 BTR-70) to the UN peacekeeping contingent in Sierra Leone. Including 6 BTR-60PBs were transferred to the Nigerian contingent, 6 BTR-60PBs to the Ghanaian peacekeeping contingent, 3 BTR-60PBs to the Kenyan peacekeeping battalion, and one BTR-60PB to the Guinean peacekeeping battalion.

Compared to the BTR-60, the geography of distribution of the BTR-70 armored personnel carriers is significantly narrower. In the 1980s, in addition to the Soviet Army, they entered service only with the National people's army(NNA) of the GDR and Afghan government troops. In addition, the analogue of the BTR-70 (TAV-77), produced under Soviet license in Romania, was in service with its own army. Currently, these combat vehicles are available in the armies of almost all CIS countries. As of 1995, in addition to the CIS countries, the BTR-70 was in service in Estonia (5 units), Afghanistan, Nepal (135) and Pakistan (120 units, received from Germany), Sudan, and Turkey (received from Germany).

BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, according to 1995 data, were in service in almost all CIS countries, as well as in Estonia (20 units), Hungary (245 units), Sierra Leone, and Turkey (100). The contract for the sale of a batch of Russian BTR-80A armored personnel carriers to Turkey was signed in 1995. This is the first time that the newest Russian Combat vehicles enters service with a NATO member country. Apparently, the choice made by the Turkish military was not accidental. Several years ago, Turkey received from Germany Soviet armored personnel carriers BTR-60PB and BTR-70 from the arsenals of the NNA of the GDR and has already managed to test them in combat conditions in the mountains of Kurdistan.

Since the production of the BTR-80 continues, it must be assumed that the above list of countries and the number of BTR-80 armored personnel carriers at their disposal will be significantly expanded. So Hungarian Army at the beginning of 2000, it received the last 20 BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, which completed the contract for the supply of 487 vehicles of this type from Russia. In total, over the past five years, Budapest has received 555 BTR-80 armored personnel carriers (including BTR-80A), 68 of which were transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. By supplying armored personnel carriers, Russia paid off Hungary's debt remaining from Soviet times. The total cost of supplies amounted to 320 million US dollars (about 576,600 dollars per armored personnel carrier). According to media reports, in 2000, at the Eurosatori 2000 arms show held in France, a batch of Russian armored personnel carriers was acquired by North Korea. The Arzamas Machine-Building Plant was supposed to supply ten BTR-80 BTRs to Pyongyang. And on October 15, 2002, the first batch of BTR-80A was sent to Indonesia (12 BTR-80A, personnel and spare parts).

In Russia itself, in addition to the Russian Army, BTR-80s are in service with the Internal Troops and Marine Corps. They are also used by Russian contingents of UN forces in Bosnia and Kosovo.

In a military action, BTR-60 armored personnel carriers were first used during Operation Danube - the entry of troops of the Warsaw Pact countries into Czechoslovakia in 1968. The signal “Vltava 666” was received by the troops on August 20 at 22:00. 15 minutes, and already at 23 o'clock troops with a total number of 500 thousand people with 5 thousand tanks and armored personnel carriers crossed the Czechoslovak border. From the territory of the GDR, the 1st Guards was introduced into Czechoslovakia tank army and the 20th Guards Army. Here the border crossing was carried out “suddenly” on August 21, on a 200 km front simultaneously by the forces of 8 divisions (2 thousand tanks and 2 thousand armored personnel carriers, mainly BTR-60). In 5 hours. 20 minutes. After crossing the state border, units and formations of the 20th Guards Army entered Prague.

Fortunately, the 200 thousand Czechoslovak army offered virtually no resistance, although cases of “anti-Soviet psychosis” were noted in a number of its units and formations. Following the orders of her Minister of Defense, she remained neutral until the end of events in the country. This made it possible to avoid bloodshed, since the Warsaw Pact troops received very specific “recommendations.” In accordance with them, a white stripe was introduced - a distinctive sign of “our own” and allied forces. All military equipment without white stripes was subject to “neutralization,” preferably without shooting. However, in the event of resistance, “stripeless” tanks and other military equipment” were subject to “immediate destruction.” To do this, there was no need to receive “sanctions” from above. When meeting with NATO troops, they were ordered to stop immediately and “do not shoot without a command.”

The Soviet-Chinese border conflict in the area of ​​Damansky Island in March 1969 can be considered a real baptism of fire for the BTR-60. After a sharp deterioration in Soviet-Chinese relations in the mid-1960s, work began to strengthen the Far Eastern borders of the Soviet Union: redeployment was carried out individual parts and formations of the Armed Forces from the western and central regions of the country to Transbaikalia and the Far East; the border strip was improved in terms of engineering; began to be carried out more purposefully combat training. The main thing is that measures were taken to strengthen the fire capabilities of border outposts and border detachments; in units the number of machine guns increased, including large-caliber, anti-tank
grenade launchers and other weapons; Armored personnel carriers of the BTR-60PA and BTR-60PB types began to arrive at the outposts, and maneuver groups were created in border detachments using them.

It must be emphasized that Chinese leaders were vitally interested in a major “victorious” conflict on the Soviet-Chinese border. Firstly, this guaranteed the generals solid representation in the country’s leadership, and secondly, the military-political leadership could confirm the correctness of the course of turning China into a military camp and preparing for war, the instigator of which would allegedly be Soviet “social-imperialism.” The preparation of a combat plan, using approximately three infantry companies and a number of military units secretly located on Damansky Island, was completed on January 25, 1969. The PLA General Staff made some adjustments to the plan. In particular, he noted that if Soviet soldiers use improvised means (“for example, wooden sticks”) or armored personnel carriers, then Chinese soldiers should “resolutely fight back” by using similar sticks and blowing up combat vehicles.

On the night of March 2, 1969, PLA units (about 300 military personnel) invaded Damansky Island and, having equipped single trenches, set up an ambush. On the morning of March 2, the border post of the Nizhne-Mikhailovka outpost reported to the commander about the violation of the State Border of the USSR by two groups of Chinese with a total number of up to thirty people. Immediately, the head of the outpost, Senior Lieutenant I. Strelnikov, with a group of 30 border guards, drove out in an BTR-60 and two vehicles to meet the violators. He decided to block them on both sides and drive them off the island. With five border guards, Strelnikov headed towards the island from the front. At a distance of 300 m from them, a second group of 12 people was moving. The third group of border guards, consisting of 13 people, approached the island from the flank. As the first group approached the Chinese, their front line suddenly parted and the second line opened fire. The first two groups of Soviet border guards died on the spot. At the same time, from an ambush on the island and from the Chinese coast, machine guns and mortars opened fire on the third group, which was forced to take up a perimeter defense. Units of Chinese soldiers who had entered the island the night before immediately entered into battle.

A motorized maneuver group on armored personnel carriers from the neighboring Kulebyakiny Sopki outpost, led by the head of the outpost, Senior Lieutenant V. Bubenin, urgently went to the rescue of our border guards. She managed to get around the enemy from the rear and throw him behind the embankment on the island. Fight with with varying success lasted all day. At this time, the command of the Iman border detachment (which included the Nizhne-Mikhailovka and Kulebyakiny Sopki outposts), led by Colonel D. Leonov, together with a maneuver group and a school non-commissioned officers border detachment were participating in exercises in the Far Eastern Military District. After receiving a message about the battles on Damansky, D. Leonov immediately gave the order to remove the school of non-commissioned officers and the maneuver group from the exercises and move to the island area. By the evening of March 2, the border guards recaptured Damansky and gained a foothold on it. In order to prevent possible repeated provocations, a reinforced maneuver group of the border detachment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel E. Yanshin (45 people with grenade launchers) on 4 BTR-60PB moved to Damansky. A reserve was concentrated on the shore - 80 people in armored personnel carriers (a school for non-commissioned officers). On the night of March 12, units of the 135th Motorized Rifle Division of the Far Eastern Military District arrived in the area of ​​recent fighting.

However, no one knew what to do next. Military-political leadership The USSR was silent. Army units and units did not have relevant orders from either the Minister of Defense or the General Staff. The leadership of the KGB, which was in charge of the border guards, also took a wait-and-see attitude. This is precisely what explains a certain confusion in the actions of the Soviet border guards, which was clearly evident on March 14 when repelling massive attacks (“human waves”) from the Chinese side. As a result of spontaneous and ill-considered decisions of the border district headquarters, the Soviet border guards suffered heavy losses (Colonel D. Leonov died, the Chinese captured a secret T-62 tank) and were forced to leave Damansky by the end of the day. In fact, units of the 135th Motorized Rifle Division saved the situation. At its own peril and risk, its headquarters gave the order to the artillery regiment of 122-mm howitzers, a separate BM-21 Grad rocket division and mortar batteries of the 199th regiment (Lieutenant Colonel D. Krupeinikov) to carry out a powerful artillery attack on the island and the opposite shore to a depth of 5- 6 km. The motorized rifle battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel A. Smirnov dotted the i’s. Within a few hours (having lost 7 people killed and 9 wounded, as well as 4 BTR-60PB), he managed to completely clear Damansky. Chinese losses amounted to about 600 people.

In the summer of the same 1969, the situation noticeably worsened on the Kazakh section of the Soviet-Chinese border, in the area of ​​the Dzungarian ledge, guarded by the Uch-Aral border detachment. And here, Soviet border guards used BTR-60s in combat conditions. On August 12, border guards at the Rodnikovaya and Zhalanashkol observation posts noticed movements in the adjacent territory separate groups Chinese military personnel. The head of the border troops of the Eastern District, Lieutenant General Merkulov, suggested that the Chinese side organize a meeting and discuss the situation. There was no answer. The next day, at about five o’clock in the morning, Chinese military personnel in two groups of 9 and 6 people reached the line of the State Border of the USSR at the Zhalanashkol border outpost section and by seven o’clock they went deeper into the border space at a distance of 400 and 100 m. Here the violators began dig in, defiantly go out to the trenches near the border line, ignoring the demands of the Soviet border guards to return to their territory. At the same time, about 100 more armed Chinese were concentrated beyond the border line in the mountains.

A few minutes later, armored personnel carriers, outpost personnel and reserves from neighboring outposts arrived in the violators’ invasion area. The actions of all these forces were led by the chief of staff of the detachment, Lieutenant Colonel P. Nikitenko. An hour later, the invading group fired several shots in the direction of the trench line of the Soviet border guards. Return fire was opened on the intruders. A fight ensued. At this time, three groups of Chinese with a total number of over forty people, armed with small arms and RPGs, came close to State border and made an attempt to cross it with the aim of capturing the nearby Kamennaya hill. Reinforcements arrived from a neighboring outpost - a maneuverable group on three BTR-60PBs - immediately entered the battle. The first armored personnel carrier (side number 217), under the command of junior lieutenant V. Puchkov, found itself under heavy enemy fire: bullets and shrapnel destroyed the external equipment, riddled the slopes, pierced the armor in several places, and jammed the turret. V. Puchkov himself and the driver of the armored personnel carrier V. Pishchulev were injured.

A group of eight fighters, reinforced by two armored personnel carriers, under the command of Senior Lieutenant V. Olshevsky, turned into a chain and began to bypass the intruders from the rear, cutting off their escape routes. From the side of the enemy outpost, a group of the assistant chief of staff of the maneuver group, Captain P. Terebenkov, attacked. By 10 o'clock in the morning the battle was over - Soviet side lost 2 border guards killed (Sergeant M. Dulepov and Private V. Ryazanov) and 10 people were injured. 3 Chinese were captured. 19 corpses of the raiders were collected on the battlefield.

But the real test for the entire family of GAZ armored personnel carriers was Afghanistan. During the decade of the Afghan war - from 1979 to 1989, the BTR-60PB, BTR-70, and BTR-80 passed through it. When developing the latter, the results of an analysis of the Afghan experience in the use of armored personnel carriers were widely used. It should be mentioned here that the BTR-60PB was in service not only with the Soviet Army, but also with the Afghan government forces. Supplies of various weapons here from the Soviet Union began in 1956 during the reign of Muhammad Zaire Shah. Armored personnel carriers BTR-60PB Afghan Army often participated in military parades held in Kabul.

At the time of the entry of troops, the armored vehicles of the motorized rifle divisions of the Central Asian Military District were represented by BTR-60PB armored personnel carriers, BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles and BRDM-2 reconnaissance and patrol vehicles. In the MSD, two out of three motorized rifle regiments were equipped with armored personnel carriers (the third was armed with BMP-1). The use of the BTR-60PB here at the initial stage is explained by the fact that the relatively new, at that time, BTR-70 (their production began in 1976) was primarily equipped with divisions of the GSVG and western military districts. The ensuing military clashes showed that Soviet armored vehicles were not sufficiently protected from modern anti-tank weapons, were fire hazardous, and tracked vehicles (tanks and infantry fighting vehicles) were quite vulnerable to explosions. The T-62 and T-55 tanks in service with the Central Asian Military District were forced to urgently modernize. They were equipped with so-called anti-cumulative grilles and additional armor plates on the towers, which the soldiers nicknamed “Ilyich’s eyebrows.” And the BMP-1s were completely withdrawn from Afghanistan and urgently replaced by the latest BMP-2s transferred from Germany.

The BTR-80, which was later put into service, also passed through Afghanistan. The powerful diesel engine installed on the new vehicle instead of two carburetor engines enabled the troops to more effectively use the combat vehicle in mountain and desert conditions, since rarefied air does not have such a negative effect on the operation of the diesel engine. At the same time, the power reserve has increased significantly and the fire hazard has decreased. However, the security of the BTR-80 remained insufficient. This can be confirmed by the loss figures - over the nine years of the war in Afghanistan, 1314 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, as well as 147 tanks, were lost. Therefore, the troops carried out a huge amount of work to search additional funds strengthening the protection of personnel and armored personnel carriers themselves, primarily from hits from cumulative shells, as well as fire from 12.7 mm and 14.5 mm machine guns. HEAT shells and large-caliber bullets hit armored personnel carriers, hitting external equipment or flying inside operating units through blinds and open hatches. The entire engine and transmission compartment was also characterized by insufficient armor.

In 1986, based on the experience of using armored personnel carriers and through experimental and theoretical research, a set of measures was developed at the BTV Military Academy to increase the bulletproof resistance of vehicles. Among them:

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After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the armies of Russia and the newly independent republics inherited a rich heritage. One of the examples of military equipment created by Soviet weapons designers was the BTR-70. This, as during the years of the USSR, is still used today by motorized rifle units as a means of transporting soldiers during military operations. The description, design and performance characteristics of the BTR-70 are contained in the article.

Getting to know the transport unit

The BTR-70 (photo of army equipment is presented below) is a Soviet armored personnel carrier created in the 70s. V Nizhny Novgorod at the Gorky plant. Employees of the design bureau developed a wheeled floating armored vehicle, the task of which was to provide fire support motorized rifle units and transport soldiers.

The BTR-70 is a floating military equipment for which all-round armor is provided. The chassis of the armored personnel carrier has an independent suspension - all eight wheels in the vehicle are driven. The characteristics of the BTR-70 allow it to keep up with tanks and successfully overcome water obstacles, trenches and trenches.

About the history of creation

In the 60s The 60th model of an armored personnel carrier was provided for the needs of the Soviet motorized rifle troops. At that time, the BMP-1 was in service with the Soviet army. has also proven to be highly effective. In order to improve the overall combat and operational parameters of the armored personnel carrier, it was decided to create a new armored vehicle using a more powerful engine and weapons. Some military personnel have suggested Alternative option: do not improve armored personnel carriers and completely abandon this type of transport, but use exclusively infantry fighting vehicles. As a result, Soviet designers decided to design equipment for the army that would combine best characteristics armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles. To do this, the smoothbore gun was removed from the BMP-1 and installed on the 60th model of the armored personnel carrier. In technical documentation vehicle listed as BMP GAZ-60. However, due to unsatisfactory speed and maneuverability due to too much weight, difficulties arose with the mass production of this machine. Nevertheless, according to experts, the design developments were not lost and were used to create the BTR-70.

About improvements

In order to increase the speed characteristics of the vehicle, Soviet weapons engineers under the leadership of I. S. Mukhin equipped the armored personnel carrier with two 120 hp gasoline engines. With. every. This design solution made it possible to increase the power density of the power system. The function of the main armament in the BTR-70 is performed by a tank heavy machine gun designed by Vladimirov (KPVT). Its installation location was a rotating turret.

Result

The body of the BTR-70 (photo of the armored personnel carrier is presented in the article), unlike the 60th model, is characterized by a height reduced by 18.5 cm, making the new vehicle less vulnerable to enemy fire. However, the armored personnel carrier is not without some disadvantages. According to experts, due to the presence of two engines, it has become more difficult to repair and maintain the power plant. In addition, the water-jet engine of the armored personnel carrier was not very successful. After overcoming water barriers, the structure must be cleaned of silt and algae. Nevertheless, the armored vehicle was approved by the military.

About serial production

In 1971, the USSR Ministry of Defense issued decree No. 0141, according to which the BTR-70 could be put into service Soviet army. The start of mass production was in 1976. Initially, the place where the armored personnel carrier was manufactured was the Gorky Automobile Plant. Since 1981, this task has been carried out by employees of the Arzamas Automotive Parts Plant. In addition, a license to manufacture the BTR-70 was issued by the Soviet Union to Romania. Before the collapse of the USSR, the Romanian industry produced 154 units of armored vehicles.

About the design

When designing the layout of the new vehicle, the developers used the 60th model of an armored personnel carrier. The location of the management department in the BTR-70 was the front part of the vehicle. The workstations of the mechanic and captain are also located here. The soldiers are placed in the middle part of the armored personnel carrier - the troop compartment. The rear part of the car is reserved for the engine and transmission compartment. The frontal part of the armored personnel carrier is equipped with special windshields for visibility. In order to make visibility good enough in any weather and season, the windows are equipped with heating and windshield wipers. The commander and mechanic are protected from bullet hits by special armored shutters that are installed on the windows. In a combat situation, the commander inspects the area using the TNPKU-2B device and three periscope devices. The mechanic can use four periscopic mechanisms. The control compartment of the armored personnel carrier for loading and unloading is equipped with upper hatches. Armored steel sheets connected by welding were used to make the body. The frontal part of the armored personnel carrier has a thickness of 1 cm. The thickness of the sheet used for the turret is 0.6 cm. The disembarkation and landing of motorized riflemen hidden from the enemy is possible thanks to the presence of special hatches in the lower part of the side of the vehicle.

The crew of the armored personnel carrier is designed for eight people. There are special benches for them. The designers designed the internal structure of the BTR-70 so that soldiers had the opportunity to fire from the interior. To do this, benches were placed on both sides of the vehicle, on which the crew sits facing six small embrasures.

As with the windows in the management department, special armored covers are provided for the embrasures. In a combat situation, the soldiers' vision is carried out using two periscopes.

About weapons

Fire at the enemy is carried out from a tank heavy machine gun (14.5 mm) and a 7.62 mm PKT. The KPVT is the main armament of an armored personnel carrier. The aimed firing range of this weapon is 2000 m. 500 ammunition is supplied per transport unit. The tank heavy machine gun is used as an additional weapon. The sighting range of this weapon is slightly lower and is 1500 m. The combat kit for the PKT consists of 2000 rounds.

About the power unit

The armored personnel carrier is equipped with two eight-cylinder GAZ-49B engines. The place of their attachment was the common frame. Engine oil is cooled by heat exchangers and radiators. The capacity of the fuel tanks is 145 liters. In order to reduce their fire hazard, special sealed compartments are provided in the design of the armored personnel carrier. In addition, the BTR-70 device is characterized by the presence of an automated fire-fighting system. According to experts, it is not uncommon for one of the power units to fail. The armored personnel carrier will be able to continue its movement if the second engine is operational. Therefore, the developers designed the power plant in such a way that a mechanic could disconnect the power transmission from the engine remotely.

About the chassis

The chassis of the armored personnel carrier consists of four axles. High rate The vehicle's cross-country ability is ensured by the presence of all-wheel drive. The first two axes are controlled. In order to turn the vehicle around, a mechanic needs 12.5 m.

Torsion bar suspension. The wheel rim is detachable. Tubeless tires with low level pressure maintained by a special control system. Thanks to it, an armored personnel carrier can continue moving on broken tires. In this case, the compressors have to work at full capacity to maintain the required pressure level. On paved surfaces, equipment can move at a speed of 80 km/h. The transmission is closed with a damper clutch. The machine is equipped manual transmission gears with four forward and one reverse gear. The third and fourth are equipped with synchronizers.

TTX

Peculiarities:

1. The BTR-70 belongs to the class of armored personnel carriers.
2. The equipment weighs 11.5 tons.
3. The control crew consists of 2 people. There are 8 soldiers in the airborne squad.
4. The maximum speed is 80 km/h.
5. The BTR-70 can swim 10 km within an hour.
6. The equipment has a power reserve of 400 km.
7. General indicator The power of the power unit is 240 horsepower.
8. The commander's external communication is carried out using the R-123M radio station. The R-124 device is intended for internal conversations.

Expert opinion

According to experts, the undeniable advantage of the BTR-70 is the ability to use it in an environment with high levels of radiation. The armored personnel carrier is equipped special system, which determines the increased background radiation. In addition, the interior is equipped with an effective ventilation system. Thanks to special filters, the crew is reliably protected from chemical and radiation exposure.

About modifications

Standard version The BTR-70 became the basis for the following variants of armored vehicles:

1. KShM. It is a command and staff mobile post.
2. MS. Using this technique, communication is carried out. The vehicle has the turret removed and contains additional radios.
3. BTR-70M. Technical characteristics have been improved in comparison with the classic version. The new model uses one KamAZ-7403 diesel engine instead of two gasoline engines. The power of the power unit is increased to 260 hp. With.
4. 70M-A1. This model is produced in Belarus. The power of two diesel power units is 136 hp each. With. The equipment is equipped with air conditioning.
5. 70M-B1. The car is made in Belarus. The equipment uses a diesel engine. The power of the power unit is 260 horsepower.
6. "Cobra-K". The vehicle was developed jointly by Russian, Belarusian and Slovak specialists. The armored personnel carrier is armed with an improved Cobra module. In addition, air conditioning is provided for the armored personnel carrier.
7. 70M-D. The car is made in Kazakhstan. Equipped with a 270 hp engine. With. Additionally, the armored personnel carrier uses Turkish thermal imagers.

About the BTR-70 "Zvezda" model

Judging by numerous consumer reviews, the Russian company Zvezda is today considered one of the largest producing Board games and prefabricated models. In the manufacturer's catalogs, plastic airplanes, helicopters, cars, ships and sailboats are presented to customers. Prefabricated BTR-70 Zvezda kits are in great demand.

The product is completed with 201 parts, which are mounted on five sprues. The total size of the product is 210 mm. The set has a scale of 1:35. The set comes with 9 wheels for the BTR-70 and instructions.

Finally

The armored personnel carrier's baptism of fire took place in Afghanistan. Later, the BTR-70 was used in numerous armed conflicts in Transnistria, Abkhazia, Chechnya and eastern Ukraine. Despite the fact that designers are creating new versions of armored vehicles, according to experts, the 70th model will be in demand for a long time.

BTR-70

BTR-70

First of all, this combat vehicle is intended for transporting personnel of motorized rifle units and their fire support. You see how the functions of the armored car have changed. The BTR-70 is not only a self-propelled firing point, but also a high-speed, cross-country vehicle and a reliable mobile shelter for motorized riflemen, well suited for combat operations in conditions of the use of nuclear weapons.
Let us now turn to a fairly strict tactical and technical definition of this combat vehicle. The BTR-70 armored personnel carrier is amphibious, all-round armored, four-axle, eight-wheeled, with all drive wheels, has high dynamic qualities, maneuverability and smoothness, capable of following tanks, overcoming trenches, trenches and water obstacles on the move. This is the amount of combat qualities a modern “armored car” has.
The main parts of an armored personnel carrier are an armored body, with weapons, surveillance devices, transmission, steering, braking systems, chassis, electrical equipment, communications, and special equipment.
The most serious attention during the development and layout of this vehicle was paid to increasing its survivability, that is, the ability to maintain or quickly restore its combat effectiveness in battle.
For example, when creating an armored personnel carrier, it was widely used in its systems. This will be illustrated below using examples of those design solutions that were used in the design of the hull, power plant, chassis and weapons.
All units and mechanisms are mounted on the machine body. It is made of armor plates, closed, waterproof, sealed, shaped like a boat and provides the armored personnel carrier with good buoyancy. The crew and troops are housed here. The corps protects personnel from small arms fire, as well as from direct exposure to light radiation, radioactive and toxic substances. It has three compartments: control, power plant and landing.
The power plant is located in the rear of the hull. Moreover, the term “power plant” was not used by chance: two engines are mounted here, complete with clutches, gearboxes and other components and mechanisms. This is how one of the components of the survivability of a source of mechanical energy is realized in practice. Carburetor eight-cylinder engines with a capacity of 120 hp each. With. The transmission is separate, torque from the right engine is supplied to the wheels of the first and third axles, and from the left - to the wheels of the second and fourth. In this case, the engines and transmission units are not interlocked with each other, only their control drives are connected.
The troop compartment occupies the entire middle part of the hull. There is a turret machine gun mount, seats for eight landing troops, ammunition storage, and various instruments.
The control compartment is located in the front of the housing. It contains the vehicle, surveillance devices, commander and driver seats, instrumentation, radio station, winch, and other mechanisms and instruments.
The chassis ensures high maneuverability of the vehicle and allows it to operate successfully in any geographical regions and various climatic zones. The machine has single removable wheels with a split rim. Tires are pneumatic with adjustable pressure over a wide range, from 2.8 to 0.5 kgf/cm2.
It is impossible not to mention the system of centralized control of air pressure in tires. She gives the car. The system not only monitors, but also changes the tire pressure; it can be adjusted directly from the driver’s seat in the parking lot and even while driving. The calculation here is correct: if the driver reduces the air pressure in the tires, then the specific pressure of the armored personnel carrier on the ground decreases and, consequently, the vehicle’s maneuverability increases when driving in difficult road conditions - through mud, wetlands, snow, sand. But what about survivability? Note that the centralized tire pressure control system is always “on alert”. If any bulges are damaged in battle, it automatically maintains the specified pressure in them and allows the vehicle to continue moving.
Another original feature of the chassis: the wheels of not only the first axle, but also the second one, are steerable, for this purpose the steering wheel is used. The minimum turning radius along the front outer wheel track is 12.6 m.
Now about the weapons... The main thing here is the turret machine gun mount, in which two machine guns are mounted. One is a KPVT brand (Vladimirov tank heavy machine gun), 14.5 mm caliber, the other is a 7.62 mm PKT merkm (Kalashnikov tank machine gun). Both of them are used to destroy enemy personnel and firepower, and the large-caliber one, in addition, is used to fire at lightly armored targets. It has excellent tactical and technical characteristics: the longest sighting range is 2000 m, and 600 rounds per minute. Imagine, there are still two kilometers to the enemy, and you can already “take aim” and conduct aimed fire at a high rate of fire. This machine gun is powered by a belt, each belt contains 50 rounds, and the entire belt contains 500 rounds. The PKT machine gun has a maximum sighting range of 1500 m, a rate of fire of 653-790 rounds per minute, a belt loaded with 250 rounds, and an ammunition capacity of 2000 rounds.
When both machine guns start firing at the same time, a barrage of fire literally falls on the enemy. And when it comes to close combat, crew and landing weapons can also be used. I must say, this addition is quite noticeable. The landing force fires from machine guns through oval hatches in the side plates of the vehicle's body. In addition, the armored personnel carrier provides stowage for one RPG-7 hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher and two AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers. If necessary, personnel can also use “pocket” artillery - the vehicle’s ammunition load includes 9 hand grenades.
The commanders say it right: maneuver is the soul of the attack. But the maneuver involves rapid jerks, sharp lunges to the side, sweeps and detours. And besides, the area is not a parade ground: a battle in the steppe or desert is one situation, a battle in a forest or populated area is completely different. And if an armored personnel carrier, having first-class weapons, is slow-moving and inactive, then it will be of little use.


1 - winch activation, 2 - front (first and second) axle activation lever, 3 - transfer case gear shift lever, 4 - gear shift lever, 5 - gear shift lever for water jet power take-offs. 6 - accelerator pedal, 7 - parking brake system drive lever. 8 - service brake pedal, 9 - clutch pedal. 10 - front heater, 11 - air, 12 - tire valves, 13 - signal button, 14 - steering, 15 BTR-70 driver's inspection hatch cover handle, 16 - manual windshield wiper drive lever, 17 - wiper switch, 18 - inspection cover handle commander's hatch, 19 - X-ray meter. 20 - No. 1 intercom. 21 - portable lamp socket, 22 - fuse panel, 23 - radio station, 24 - radio station power supply, 25 - remote X-ray meter unit.
The cross-country ability of the BTR-70 is simply amazing. The machine confidently climbs up to 30° on hard ground, and the permissible roll angle is 25°. At a decent speed, the armored personnel carrier travels off-road; even trenches, trenches and ditches cannot stop it. Imagine this situation; On the way of the armored personnel carrier there was a ditch 2 m wide, there was no detour to the right or left. The obstacle is quite serious. And if there are no available materials, anyone can detain. The BTR-70 overcomes this obstacle, as they say, “jokingly.” After all, the base of the car is 4400 mm. Let us remind you that it has 8 wheels, and all of them are driven. So fighting machine, like a caterpillar, is capable of crawling through ditches and trenches. trenches, ditches up to 2 m wide.
The armored personnel carrier is very mobile, because its power plant develops a power of 240 hp. With. Therefore, it can move at fairly high speeds on dirt roads, and on the highway it reaches up to 80 km/h. Due to the use of an original torsion bar suspension, working in conjunction with powerful double-acting telescopic shock absorbers, the car moves smoothly and easily. Even when driving on a dirt road with high speed the crew and troops do not get tired, which is especially important during long marches. The fuel range of the BTR-70 is impressive: on the main tanks on the highway - 400 km, and with additional tanks - up to 660 km, which gives motorized rifles unprecedented advantages. Just like it was during the last war! Marches were often carried out on foot. If the infantry covered several tens of kilometers in one day, this is already an achievement. And now you can make a throw more than half a thousand kilometers at once.
At all times, military experts agreed that a water barrier was a serious obstacle. Previously, infantry crossed rivers very often using improvised means. The accuracy of this term is well known: warriors swim to another, using everything that comes to hand - a log, a board, an armful of straw wrapped in a raincoat, etc. An armored personnel carrier crosses water barriers without effort. In this regard, Soviet designers tried to do the maximum possible. They installed a water jet or water jet on the vehicle, which is a type of hydraulic jet. The afloat speed reaches 9-10 km/h, and the power reserve is 12 hours.
The BTR-70 “sees” perfectly day and night. His “eyes” are perfect observation and aiming devices. By the way, there are 13 of them installed in the vehicle, with 5 each for the commander and driver, including one for the night, 2 for the landing force and 1 - in a crazy installation - for the shooter. It is also located there to monitor the terrain and aim machine guns at the target.
The armored personnel carrier also has communications equipment; VHF radio station brand R-123M (external) m tank intercom with three subscribers ( intercom). In addition, the armored personnel carrier has a filter-ventilation unit consisting of a supercharger-separator and an absorber filter, a fire-fighting equipment system with automatic and semi-automatic activation methods, a DP-3B X-ray meter, a military chemical reconnaissance device VPKhR, a kit for special processing, towing devices, life jackets, self-pulling winch with a traction force of up to six tons (cable length 50 m) and much more.
In a word, Soviet specialists managed to create a perfect combat vehicle that enjoys the well-deserved respect of soldiers and officers ground forces, which has a wide range of high tactical and technical characteristics, is reliable and survivable, and is therefore capable of performing a wide range of combat missions.


1 - wave-reflective shield, 2 - sidelight, 3 - fencing, headlights, 4 - headlights, 5 - observation devices, 6 - night commander's device illuminator, 7 - shock absorbers 8 - rifle embrasure covers, 9 - landing hatch covers, 10 - , 11 - FVU fan cap, 12 - FVU hatch cover, 13 - bilge pump pipe, 14 - muffler casing, 15 - brake light, 16 - suspensions, 17 - winch hatch cover, 18 - driver's hatch cover, 19 - commander's hatch cover, 20 BTR-70 PKT machine gun 22 - air intake caps, 23 - radiator filler hatch covers, 24 - air outlet blinds, 25 - gas tank filler hatch covers, 26 - suspension arm, 27 - towing hook, 28 - winch cable release hatch cover. 29 - water jet damper.
Additional equipment (towing rope and block, entrenching tools and canisters with fuel reserves) are not shown.
The BTR-70 hull is completely closed, with a smooth bottom, made of rolled armor plates, and equipped with a filter ventilation unit (FVU). It is the base on which all the units and mechanisms of the machine are mounted. On the upper frontal plate there are two inspection hatches, closed by glass with rubber seals, and in the combat position - by armored covers. Windshield wipers are installed to clean the windows from dirt and water.
At the junction of the upper frontal plate in the roof of the hull, 6 sockets are welded for observation devices of the vehicle commander and driver. One more socket is welded on the cheekbones of the sides of the hull. On the middle sheet of the bow of the hull there are hatches for access to the winch, to the main brake cylinders and to the main cylinders of the clutch drives. Wave-reflective shield supports are welded to the right and left at the junction of the side sheets of the bow of the hull. Two towing hooks are welded on the lower frontal plate and are located for issuing the winch cable. has a lid that opens downwards.
In the front part of the hull roof above the control compartment there are landing hatches for the commander and driver. In its middle part above the troop compartment there are two hatches for the entry and exit of the landing party and two sockets for observation devices.
The roof of the housing consists of two sheets, secured with bolts. The sheets have hatches for the air inlet and outlet of the cooling system, hatches for filling radiators and fuel tanks. At the end of the stern plate, a towing bracket is welded along the axis of the vehicle for towing afloat. There are brake lights on either side of the bracket.
On the left upper side plate of the hull there are three hatches for firing from personal weapons of the landing force, three handrails, a cap and an access hatch and a fuel pump, as well as the outlet pipe of the water pump. On the right upper side sheet there are four firing hatches and two handrails. Silencers are located at the rear of the side sheets. On the zygomatic parts of the sides, headlight guards are welded and two sidelights, two headlights with black-out nozzles and a headlight-illuminator for the driver's night instrument (only on the left) are installed.
The suspension of all wheels is independent, torsion bar on wishbones, in the side niches of the body.
Pneumatic tires with adjustable pressure, with a directional tread pattern, size 13.00-18, the herringbone tread in the front part of the tire is directed downwards.
On the outside of the armored personnel carrier there is a towing cable and a block, an entrenching tool and canisters with a supply of fuel. The tow rope is hooked to the left front hook and laid along the left side on the shelf. The towing unit is placed on the roof of the hull in front of the exhaust pipe casing between the filling hatches of the cooling system. There is a shovel mounted on the left side of the hull under the muffler, and a two-handed one under the right muffler. There is one canister on the left side between the FVU hatch and the muffler, and three on the right side in front of the muffler.
General characteristics:
Name - BTR-70
Code - object 750
Developer - Design Bureau of the Gorky Automobile Plant
Manufacturer - Gorky Automobile Plant
Date of adoption - August 21, 1972.
Production - series since 1976
Wheel formula - 8 x 8
Crew, people - 3
Troops, people - 7
Reservation – bulletproof
Weight and dimensions:
Weight, t - 11.5
Specific

In the previous part it was shown that there is no positive evidence of the production of BTR-3 hulls from scratch. In the next part, individual elements of the BTR-3 design will be analyzed and their belonging to the original BTR-80 will be shown through the prism of the evolution of the hulls from Vyksa and the products of the KMDB named after. Morozova.

This post has a utilitarian goal not to clutter or overload further text with photographs and to illustrate the evolution of the products and capabilities of both competing factories through a selection of machines of different generations. It is on this evolution of products that the next article will build a narrative.

This is not an encyclopedic article and not an attempt to tell everything that is possible. But this does not make the post a purely technical text. Most readers who are not experienced in military technology will most likely find something new for themselves here. Read more on Wikipedia and specialized sites.

Arzamas Machine-Building Plant

BTR-70 early releases

BTR-70/70M late releases

BTR-70M - modern deep modernization and unification with the BTR-80
In terms of its tactical and technical characteristics, the BTR-70M closely matches the characteristics of the BTR-80.

The 81st Armored Repair Plant in Armavir, Krasnodar Territory, performs similar repairs and modernization of the BTR-70, for example.

BTR-80 early releases

BTR-80 modernized editions

BTR-80A/82A

BTR-90 of various experimental “generations”

There is practically no point in discussing the differences between the BTR-90 and the BTR-80. They are colossal. What does it have to do with latest versions The 90th differ from the first ones as much as the first ones differed from the 80th.
But this machine is interesting from the point of view of showing the continuity of solutions and the use of available capabilities in the experimental machine.

The first experimental vehicles looked more like an inflated BTR-80, the dimensions increased, the duck's nose disappeared, but the principles of hull construction were preserved. In details, the borrowing from previous machines was serious:
- Wave-reflective shield from BTR-80;
- Exhaust system muffler covers from BTR-80;
- Loopholes from BTR-70;
- Long handrails.

The following cars were already more decent and polished, having received:
- New front proportions;
- Own original simplified flat wave-reflective shield;
- Headlight protection similar to that of the BTR-80;
- The loopholes have disappeared;
- The number and shape of handrails varied from a couple of large ones to a dozen short ones for different cars.

It was this version of the BTR-90 with a massive bumper and without a wave-reflecting shield that became the basis for the armored personnel carrier with the Bakhcha module.

The latest cars, from about 2008, received:
- asymmetrical front part;
- the upper frontal armor plate became single, like that of an infantry fighting vehicle;
- the hatches of the driver and commander moved to the frontal armor plate and became inclined.
- two external water jets instead of one internal water jet.

That's all for now with AMZ cars.

Kharkov Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau named after. A. A. Morozova

Case manufacturer: Lozova Forging and Mechanical Plant (Kharkov region, Ukraine)

In general, the company previously dealt with heavy tracked vehicles. Has access to huge stocks of Soviet storage warehouses and a huge brand of vehicles of the active Ukrainian army. It offers customers both the production of vehicles supposedly from scratch, as well as deep alterations and local modernization of various tracked chassis for military and civilian needs.
Experience in the field of wheeled chassis is limited to projects for modernizing old BTR-60/70/80, as well as supposedly completely original armored personnel carriers BTR-3, BTR-4 with a wheel arrangement of 8?8 and the armored car "Dozor-B" with a wheel arrangement of 4?4 .

I will illustrate the different types of machines in general form, but without comment. I don’t see much point in highlighting any particular car options in this post; I’ll describe specific points with illustrations in the next part.

The BTR-70 is a Soviet wheeled armored personnel carrier, developed in the early 70s at the Gorky Automobile Plant design bureau. The vehicle is designed to transport soldiers of motorized rifle units and support them in battle. In fact, this combat vehicle is a deep modernization of the BTR-60PB armored personnel carrier.

Thanks to a powerful power plant, a chassis with independent suspension and eight large-diameter drive wheels, the BTR-70 armored personnel carrier can overcome trenches, trenches, and other obstacles and accompany tanks and infantry in battle. And the sealed hull and water-jet propulsion allows this combat vehicle to cross water obstacles without preparation. The BTR-70 is equipped with a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction.

The BTR-70 was adopted for service on August 21, 1972; its serial production began at the Gorky Automobile Plant in 1976. In 1981, production was moved to the Arzamas Auto Parts Plant. This car was produced under license in Romania. Since the start of mass production, the BTR-70 has been modernized several times. Currently, there are Ukrainian, Belarusian, Romanian and Kazakh modifications of this armored personnel carrier.

The armored personnel carrier is still in service Russian army(about 200 units as of 2016), several thousand more vehicles of this type are being mothballed. They also continue to be used by the armies of almost all post-Soviet republics. The BTR-70 is also used abroad: in Macedonia, Pakistan, Mongolia, Syria, Zambia and other countries. Previously, this list was much longer, but gradually the BTR-70 is being withdrawn from service, because these days, of course, it is already obsolete.

During its long career, the BTR-70 managed to “sniff gunpowder” enough. Afghanistan became his “baptism of fire”, then there were numerous conflicts on the territory of the former Soviet Union (Transnistria, Abkhazia, two Chechens, eastern Ukraine). The BTR-70 was also used during the Yugoslav wars. In the mid-90s, Turkey purchased a significant batch of these armored personnel carriers from Germany and used them in combat operations against the Kurds.

History of the creation of an armored personnel carrier

At the end of the 60s, after the adoption of the very successful BMP-1, the need for a serious modernization of the BTR-60 armored personnel carrier or replacing it with a new vehicle with a more powerful engine and weapons became obvious. The military generally had the idea of ​​abandoning armored personnel carriers and transferring infantry to infantry fighting vehicles. As a result, they decided to do something in between a wheeled armored personnel carrier and an infantry fighting vehicle.

The BTR-60 was equipped with a turret from the BMP-1 with a smoothbore cannon and a PKT machine gun. The prototype received the designation BMP GAZ-60, but it was never put into mass production. Because due to the increased weight, the new car had extremely unsatisfactory speed and maneuverability. However, the gained developments were not wasted; it was on the basis of the GAZ-60 BMP that the BTR-70 was created.

The designers installed two ZMZ-4905 gasoline engines on the armored personnel carrier, each of which had a power of 120 hp. With. This made it possible to achieve high power density and, as a result, good speed characteristics of the new armored personnel carrier. As the main armament of the BTR-70, the designers proposed a KPVT machine gun mounted in a rotating turret.

Compared to the BTR-60, the new armored personnel carrier had a lower hull height (by 185 mm), which somewhat reduced the likelihood of it being hit by enemy fire.

In general, the new vehicle was for the military, which is why it was put into service in 1972. Since the late 70s, under Soviet license, the production of the BTR-70 has been established in Romania. Until the end of the 90s, the Romanians produced 154 cars.

Operating experience of the BTR-70 showed a number of shortcomings that caused the serial production of this armored personnel carrier to stop. Most big problem It became more difficult to repair and maintain the transmission and power plant, which consists of two engines. In this respect, the BTR-70 was very similar to its predecessor, the BTR-60 armored personnel carrier. The design of the machine's water-jet propulsion system, which tends to become clogged with algae, mud and silt, cannot be called successful either.

Description of design

The BTR-70 is a wheeled armored combat vehicle, the layout of which generally repeats the layout of the BTR-60. The armored personnel carrier has a sealed body welded from sheets of armor steel. In the frontal part it has a thickness of 8-10 mm, the thickness of the armor of the front part of the turret is 6 mm. Between the second and third pairs of wheels on both sides of the hull there are lower side hatches through which infantrymen disembark from the vehicle. There are also additional hatches on the roof of the hull.

In the front part of the hull there is a control compartment, in which there are seats for the driver and commander. This is followed by the troop compartment, which houses the paratroopers; there is also a turret installation, ammunition racks, surveillance devices, etc. In the rear of the armored personnel carrier there is a power compartment with engines and transmission.

Outside of combat, the commander and driver conduct observations through two windshields, which in a combat situation are covered with armored covers, after which the view is carried out using periscope devices.

Motorized riflemen in the airborne squad are placed facing the sides, which allows them to shoot on the move through embrasures. Another fighter is located next to the machine gun gunner.

The armament of the BTR-70 consists of KPVT (14.5 mm) and PKT (7.62 mm) machine guns, which are placed in a round rotating turret. There was an attempt to place an automatic grenade launcher in it instead of the PKT, but this modification was never put into mass production. The KPVT's ammunition capacity is 500 rounds.

The power plant of the BTR-70 consists of two ZMZ-4905 gasoline engines. Moreover, the fuel tanks are located separately, in a special compartment, which reduces the likelihood of a fire. In addition, the machine is equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system.

The transmission of the armored personnel carrier is mechanical, there are four forward and one reverse gears. The BTR-70 transfer case is capable of transmitting force to the winch. The controls are the two front pairs of wheels. The armored personnel carrier has a tire pressure regulation system that can compensate for the loss of pressure when a tire is shot or punctured.

A two-stage water-jet propulsion system allows the BTR-70 to reach speeds of up to 10 km/h while afloat.

The designers of the armored personnel carrier paid great attention to protection from the damaging factors of weapons of mass destruction. The vehicle is equipped with a powerful filter-ventilation unit, as well as radiation and chemical reconnaissance systems.

Armored personnel carrier modifications

Since the start of mass production, the BTR-70 has been modified several times, and vehicles have been created on its basis to perform special tasks. Back in the Soviet period, on the basis of this armored personnel carrier, the BTR-70KShM headquarters vehicle, as well as the BTR-70MS radio communication vehicle, were developed. In the mid-70s, the Artvooruzheniya Research Institute created the Zhalo-S anti-tank self-propelled gun, which was an anti-tank gun installed on the BTR-70. This combat vehicle was never accepted for service.

One of the main disadvantages of the BTR-70 is the complexity of its power plant, so almost all attempts to modernize this armored personnel carrier were aimed at eliminating this problem. Already in the post-Soviet period, two modifications of the armored personnel carrier were produced in Russia and Ukraine under the same name BTR-70M, in which gasoline engines were replaced by one diesel engine. The Russian BTR-70M was equipped with a KamAZ-7403 engine (260 hp), as well as a transmission from the BTR-80. Ukrainian BTR-70M, developed by specialists from the Kharkov Design Bureau named after. Morozov, received the UTD-20 diesel engine. Also on this vehicle the side hatches for landing troops were changed.

There are other modifications of the BTR-70:

• BTR-70 "Thunder". This is another version of the machine, developed by the designers of the Design Bureau named after. Morozova. Instead of gasoline engines, it is equipped with a diesel UTD-20 (like the BTR-70M), in addition, the standard turret is replaced by the Grom combat module. It includes a 30-mm cannon, an automatic grenade launcher, a machine gun (7.62 mm) and a Barrier anti-tank missile system with four missiles. The side hatches are made according to the BTR-80 type;
• BTR-70 KBA-2. Another Ukrainian version of the BTR-70 with a UTD-20 engine and a KBA-2 automatic cannon instead of the KPVT;
• BTR-70T. Modification developed by Techimpex (Ukraine). Gasoline engines were replaced with two diesel engines, the car was equipped with a new radio station and wheels. Another combat module can be installed on the BTR-70T at the request of the customer;
• BTR-70DI. An armored personnel carrier variant developed at the Nikolaev Armored Plant. It is equipped with the Zaslon KAZ, modern sighting devices, a new gearbox, two Iveco diesel engines and an automatic fire extinguishing system. The BTR-70DI has enhanced mine protection and an armament complex consisting of a 30-mm cannon, an automatic grenade launcher and a Barrier ATGM;
• BTR-70M-A1. Modification of an armored personnel carrier with two diesel engines;
• Cobra-K. A variant of the vehicle developed jointly by the Belarusian 140th repair plant and Slovak companies. In this modification, the gasoline engines were replaced by one KamAZ-7403 diesel engine, and the standard weapons were replaced by the Cobra combat module, consisting of a 30-mm cannon and a PKT machine gun;
• BTR-70MD. Modification of an armored personnel carrier developed in Kazakhstan. It differs from the basic one by one diesel engine and new sighting devices.